I have seen posted several times recently by fellow mothers, tweets and Insta’s all about how expensive school uniform is and what a pricey affair awaits several families over the coming weeks as they set out to kit their kids out for the new school year. Bearing in mind that kids grow so fast, their white Ts get stained daily and they get up to all sorts of adventures in it during a day at school, I personally, and know I am not alone when I say that I can’t abide paying tonnes on uniform yet also recognise that it is so hard as a parent to find the right balance of value, comfort and durability when they are in it every day.

Well here is a “Lidl Surprise” just for you and the answer to tick all of the boxes we seek – Next week Lidl will be launching its 1st ever full school uniform range for this coming school year and it is remarkably cheap whilst maintaining quality. As a mother that is tight frugal and always on the hunt for best price and value on things, I am blown away with how little it costs for how lovely it is, and it actually makes me excited to think how little it would cost to kit 2 kids out for school!

Last year I made the mistake of buying Ethan’s uniform practically the week before school started and therefore was limited on choice and probably spent way more than I needed to or wanted to. When I look at what Lidl has on offer next week, not only can we parents be uber organised and get it all in before a mad rush at the end of the summer, but they are also giving us the choice to spend far less than we need to on our kids uniform’s.

I was excited that they recently sent us over some samples of their bargainous uniform range for Ethan & Megan to try and put to the test, and I couldn’t be happier with it. I just think its everything you could want as a parent; it fits the kids well and is easy to move in and for the sizes they wore (Megs 4-6 , E 6-8) has plenty of growth in it too, so another money saver as we hopefully won’t be replacing it near the end of the year when they have shot up. I think that it feels really nice light fabric and looks really smart. And then of course the price is not only good…its unbelievably cheap. I will most definitely be stocking up on the white Ts because for the price they are it would be ridiculous not to, and then some more trousers for Ethan as he prefers the fabric to the ones he has had this year. I am also rather intrigued to give the shoes and coats a try as well as other PE items.

Megans thoughts – “I like ma new school uniform because I look cool and I can still run and do this *twists* and jump so high and even play football, and they are all my favourite things to do”

Ethan’s thoughts – “Oooo I like these trousers mummy, so much softer than my others aren’t they? I like this T-shirt too mummy its nice and long and has more buttons. I think I look so smart in my new uniform”

Don’t get caught up in the huge expenditure that can be school uniform… get yourself down to you local Lidl from the 21st July and I think you will be VERY surprised at the savings you will make this school year! It certainly gets top marks from us!

*Thank you to Lidl for sending us some uniform samples at no cost to try in return for an honest review.
All thoughts and pictures are our own

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I have been a school mum now for almost a whole school year and life feels very natural for the routine we have. I love it more than I ever thought, and other than the odd day when he is tired, Ethan too thoroughly enjoys going to school and participating in all it has to offer him and his new school mates. We like it so much, as Megan approaches her start date this September, we have feelings of more of excitement than sadness. But there is one big beef I have about school and that is the uniform…well not even all of it, just the colour of white for the polo shirts. Its a lovely uniform, but is such a struggle to keep it so…Maybe its a boy thing, or maybe its just a “my child” thing, but white polo shirts for school have quickly become the bain of my life as Ethan not only goes through one a day, but they ALWAYS seem to come out of the wash still looking grubby and far from the pristine, lovely uniform he set out in earlier in the school year!

Monday mornings are a slow start at the best of times, so it was pretty crazy this Monday when in a mad rush (and resentfully I might add), we had to buy Ethan some new school Tshirts as his others, despite being washed over the weekend were just gross and not very wearable…more grey than white, stained with anything from oil (?) to tomato based sauces from school and paint. I have bleached them, washed them in “especially for whites” detergents on hot washes and hung them in the sun for a whole day, only to find the grubby fronts still dominate the look and I just don’t know why?! Is it because they are supermarket ones? Should I have spent more? He has his M&S one in his PE Kit and that seems totally fine, but then again he isn’t wiping his dinner or grubby hands down it on a daily basis!

I was hoping, being optimistic and because I’m a bit tight too, that the uniform we bought him back in September would have seen him through til the end of the school year. I hoped that the upkeep of a school uniform would be no more demanding than that of laundering all of our other clothes. The sizing is still fine, his trousers, shorts and clarks shoes all worn yes, but in great, wearable condition still, even his socks look good and have no holes…but his blooming white polo shirts – stained, broken buttons and IN THE BIN as I write! So close to the end of the school year, but they just didn’t make it!

I am hoping now that this new pack will see him through these last few weeks, though even then I am not so sure as he is outdoors more and wearing a jumper less. I guess when September roles around and Megsie joins him in her little uniform, we will see if hers come back in the same state and we have a repeat of the grubby white polo shirts!!!! All I know is if this is my life for the next 10yrs I might actually go mad…White polo shirts, you look good, but its not a lasting relationship!

Do your kids wear white for school? How do you find it?

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Like many of you this week we hit a major milestone in our family, as yesterday our Little E and first born started school. First of all “Congratulations” to all parents that have made it this far, I personally feel it a great accomplishment that I and my child have survived almost 5 years of life – do you??

As he starts out on his journey through school he has decided at almost 5 that he wants to be a Policeman when hes done and no longer a fireman, because being a fireman is far too dangerous.These last years are ones we will never get back, of course there are things I missed, the should have done’s and days I shouted and snapped too much and I know there will probably be more of them in the future too. But, overall they have been how I hoped; fun, full of laughter, adventure and growth for us all. We really have had some amazing times in these pre school years and there isn’t a huge amount I would change and therefore not a lot I regret. Motherhood is a learning curve and that is what I have done – Learn’t A LOT!And now as E takes this next step and enters a chapter filled with years of full time education, I look forward with him – of course I am sad to not have him all day every day and yes a little tear fell from my eyes at how big he is getting as he toddled off to big school with his backpack and uniform, a little anxious and mostly excited, but I just felt happy for him. I am also really excited about this – There was a time I wasn’t and a time I thought mainstream education wasn’t what I wanted for my kids, but right now it is good and I so very much look forward to meeting those he chooses as friends and values. I look forward to hearing him read and seeing him grow, seeing him excel where his strengths are and seeing him learn to tackle challenges. I am excited for him to figure out the world and what he wants to absorb from it, his hopes and desires to have new adventures. I can’t wait to see what he is into, if he wants to learn an instrument, what games they play in the playground, what sports he gets into and what he ate for lunch.My only hope really though is that it brings him joy – I had periods of miserable days at school, but despite these I did really well, had amazing friends and look back on it with fondness and I hope he will too. In the words of Aibileen Clark from “The Help” we as his parents hope most of all that he always remembers that he is KIND, he is IMPORTANT and he is SMART! We hope that he always realises he IS Good at things, he is a good person with good values and a kind heart and thoughtful attributes, a good kind and helpful little boy with a good family behind him. We hope that he knows he is important and a vital member of our family and a very special individual. we hope he knows his opinion is important and that what he desires is important…we hope that people do not make him question this. And finally we hope he sees how smart he is (and that he doesn’t make too many foolish choices), how hard work can accomplish anything and how wonderful it it to gain knowledge…he just hopes the dinner will be tasty and he will make some friends!Off you go little E – Work hard, play hard and enjoy the journey!

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It may be a sign of bad parenting, but I am not one to jump in and correct my kids grammar when they come out with funny and adorable interpretations for things…I just love to hear it and it makes my day. My faves at the moment are “cu-pumber” (cucumber) and “school nuniform” (an obvious stage we are in) and so as little E starts school in 2 days (sob) he might say some funny words, but after a mental shopping trip yesterday, he certainly won’t be getting funny looks in his dapper new stuff!I am naturally a bargain hunter.. cheap, low price tag kinda gal…you don’t really have much choice to have it any other way when your hubs is a student and surplus cash is a thing of the past (for now). We all make sacrifices in various ways, but lucky for him when it comes to new purchases it is a natural trait to get a deal and rarely a sacrifice.

Whilst I am more than aware of the cheapest places for uniforms (we’ve been surrounded by it since May) I have shopped around to feel fabrics, compare prices, look at sizing and a whole host of other things! In the end we bought him a cardigan and a jumper with the school logo on from the local uniform shop, general uniform from Sainsburys and shoes from Clarks. He already had PE kit courtesy of M&S and chose a cool skull back pack from Asda. We grabbed a barg with his shoes; £21 instead of £34 at the outlet and of course the perfect fit as he had his feet measured, and then we noticed his shorts were only £3 for 2 pairs on sale at Sainsburys…scooorrreee.I wanted him to look a little old fashioned/posh boy and so went straight for shorts and long socks, which he absolutely LOVES! Its so nice that he is not yet fashion concious, that he is comfortable in his own skin and loves to just look smart. He is going nuts over his long socks and shorts and so am I, that for at least one school year I can dress him like a posh boy haha. I have deliberately not taken shots of his jumper and colours to keep the excitement for Thursday, but I am totally loving him in his new “nuniform” and I can’t stop smiling at him.I really make myself laugh( and make Naths eyes roll) that I left it til 2 days before he started school to get his stuff (talk about last minute) and I have been saying its so that Nathan could come along too for the fun. I think its more that it freaks me out that my baby is taking this step, wearing a uniform, full time school and making new friends… some peoples kids are already on their way and here we are only just getting his tat together.. its going to be an interesting adventure, but one where he will be looking the business.

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Hello there, I'm Mary, and welcome to my blog! I'm LDS, a wife, and stay at home mum to 3 little nutters, living in a beautiful Yorkshire Village.

This right here is the story of our life's adventures together - the highs and lows, the fun, travels, and little ordinary moments, as we seek for a "Hearty Life" following stillbirth and loss in 2014.
I love to share our life, travels and my little loves in life, as well as break the silence on baby loss and grief...I hope you enjoy the journey ... come laugh and cry with us along the way!

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